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atticeyewear's photostream on Flickr.

Some new addition to the family...hope you will view our collection of hand picked NOS (new out of stock) items available at atticeyewear.com. No Repicas here our collection is 100% authentic period pieces spanning from 1900's - 1990's.  Hope you enjoy your viewing!

The History of Tortoishell Eyewear

Tortoishell was a heavily used natural material made popular in the early 1900's. The most widely used was the hawksbill turtle because of the excellent hues and how well the tones reflected on peoples skin. Many items were made out of tortoise in the 1900's some of them were hair clips, guitar pics and sunglasses. The rich hues of the tortoishell made it highly desirable and in the late 1970's the use of tortoiseshell became outlawed to protect this species of reptile from endangerment.

The horn-rimmed eyeglass emerges...Tortoise shell or horn-rimmed eyeglasses became popular in the 1900's first made famous by comedian Harold Lloyd. This eccentric thick dark round eyeglass was a diversion from the classic metal eyeglasses mostly fashioned in this time period the time had come for change. This was the revival needed for eyeglasses they were becoming a fashionable and sought after statement. No longer just a medical device to allow one to see clearly, eyeglasses were clearly becoming fashionable. Yeah!!

The term tortoise shell is now used too readily in almost all eyewear. It is a mainstay in both the eyeglass and sunglass market's. Many different varieties of tortoise are popular some of the names for the different hues of tortoise are as follows;

Christian Roth Tokyo Tort atticeyewear.com

Tokyo Tortoise is referred in the business as the color tortoise that is highly marbled and bright tones of amber and black and dark brown are very apparent.

Vintage Swank Tortoise Shell atticeyewear.com

Tortoise Shell is the color most widely used and is a softer blending of these same hues in a more uniform pattern.

Vintage Robert La Roche Demi Amber atticeyewear.com

Demi Amber is the color tortoise that is a lighter amber blonde color.

Tortoise Shell is still very much in fashion now as they were in the 1900's this organic material created a whole new fashion industry.

Some things just never get old...vintage sunglasses

Vintage Nina Ricci circa 1970's www.atticeyewear.com

DVF F/ 2012 Runway

 In design it has been proven that "their is no such thing as anything NEW only the reiteration of what was" or "one must know where they have been in order to know where they are going".  Many designers utilize reflecting on what was proven to be successful and fashionable and reintroduce it and "make what was once old new again". This photo of the Fall 2012 sunglass collection from DVF mirrors that sentiment quite clearly.

On the Right you have the original Nina Ricci
as once worn by Jackie O available for purchase at atticeyewear.com. The circa 1970's Nina Ricci sunglass reflects the thought process which was to offer a designer fashionable product with exceptional quality and protection and this vintage sunglass did so exceptionally well!

Jackie in Nina Ricci

 

www.atticeyewear.com

Currently this 20th century standard does not apply.  Designer Labels are "slapped" on sub-standard goods and consumers are unaware that what one is truly paying for is the licensing fee of the brand not the luxury of the goods that should be synonymous with designer labels.

So if you want both "Quality and designer fashion" go Vintage!

Dawn

CustomEyes your vintage eyeglass....

Vintage American Optical circa 1970's

www.atticeyewear.com

 "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." Translation of this idiom would be better served as to say that one cannot make a good quality product using bad quality material.

The purpose of this blogpost is to portray what can be done to a simple vintage eyeglass and how it can be transformed into a remarkable fashion statement!

As a couturier of vintage eyewear here I am utilizing one of the many different techniques or "tricks of the trade" such as tinted lenses. This rather simple process adds a strong sense of interest to your selection and custom tailors your vintage eyeglass purchase to meet your needs.  Adding colored lenses to vintage eyeglass is one of the many ways you can easily transforms a vintage eyeglass on the site into a remarkable fashion statement.  Any vintage eyeglass frame you see on atticeyewear.com can be transformed into a tinted lens of your choice.

We pride ourselves on being available for consultation making sure your selection of vintage eyewear is as personal as it could possibly be via internet.

Our promise to you is making sure your purchase from atticeyewear.com is something that is truly yours and yours alone!  We carefully select all of the vintage eyeglasses to assure their quality fits our standards. We choose what we feel are special and unique and we only have one of the item so it truly is  "just for you"!

"Be Your Own Logo"is our mission statement and we want all who appreciates the special qualities of vintage eyewear to enjoy your selection as much as we enjoy bringing it to YOU!


Dawn


Couturier of Vintage Eyewear
www.atticeyewear.com

Aurora Borealis...Double Entendre

Vintage Venita cat eye with AB stones circa 1950's www.atticeyewear.com

Aurora Borealis as seen in the night skies of Alaska

Vintage Venita AB stones

Aurora Borealis is the phenomenon of electrically charged atoms that display a spectacular light show in high altitude atmospheres.  The incredible beauty of this spectacular light show can be viewed in the night skies of northern latitudes.  This collision of energetic charged particles of the atoms in the high altitude atmosphere creates spectacular imagery of the diffusion of light. This is aurora borealis.

As a collector of vintage eyewear the term aurora borealis or AB stones refers to the color or hue of the rhinestone as you see in the photo above.  AB stones are a stone that has been coated with thin layers of metal to enhance brilliance and reflective color quality.  The method of coating the stone involves vaporizing metals in a vacuum which create a stone of reddish hues to resemble that of the "aurora borealis"! This technique was developed in the early 1950's by the Swarovski Company. The AB stones in both vintage jewelry as well as vintage eyewear are highly regarded and may authenicate that the eyewear source is from the 1950's.  Swarovski created the "rainbow stone" and this was implemented in many couture collections such as Christian Dior. 

The technique of adding stones to eyeglasses does the same phenomenon as the "aurora borealis" of the night sky. It showcases ones best feature your eyes.

So add some brilliance to your face and let yourself Shine!


Dawn
atticeyewear.com

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

新年快乐

May the year of the Dragon bless you with prosperity of abundance of wealth, health and blessing for you and your household!

May the Dragon's energy and vitality bring luck to ALL!

Martin Luther King Jr

Martin Luther King was born Jan. 15, 1929 and was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
All lost a brother that fateful day...all lost a Leader of Peace , a healer of Time, a preacher of the universal language of Love!
Today as Americans we celebrate his Life! He gave Hope to many and inspired all who were open to his word of Freedom! Honoring Dr. King is simple when one reflects on his words of wisdom...the words I HAVE A DREAM resound in our ears forever. So let us ALL open our ears more to reflect on his words so the DREAM of FREEDOM can become a REALITY for ALL!
I have A Dream...

Dr. Martin Luther King...Brethren in Arms we Honor You!

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